Review of Ronin (1998) by William S — 28 Sep 2011

John Frankenheimer's Ronin has the best shootouts since Die Hard, car chases on par with Bourne or The French Connection, and as many twists, turns, and betrayals as the best classic noir, as befitting its setting in Paris. Add a talented cast led by the gritty yet unassuming Robert De Niro, and you one of the best action thrillers of the 90's.

As the film opens, IRA operative Deidre (Natasha McElhone) has assembled a team of former commandos and spies, including Sam (De Niro), Vincent (Jean Reno), Larry (Skipp Sudduth), and Gregor (Stellan Skarsgard) to steal a heavily guarded steel case containing an unidentified object of immense value. The theft is spectacular enough, but the real action comes afterwards, as the team is struck by betrayals from within and above, and Sam and Vincent find themselves working against everyone just to get their paycheck.

The term Ronin refers to masterless samurai, men who practice their trade as hired swords or bandits, fighting for money rather than loyalty or honor. And this is a perfect metaphor for the entire film. The people in this picture- hero and villain alike- are in it 100% for the money, and as far as they're concerned, there is little honor among thieves. The sheer number and frequency of double crosses and backstabbings is striking. It's like The Maltese Falcon, only with more factions in play. Even more remarkable is how ruthless many these people are. At one point a main character actually shots at children on a playground- just to make a point! These are folks you don't want to screw around with, and yet they screw each other over again and again.

The other thing that makes Ronin stand out is the action; this is after all, a thriller. Bullets and car chases alone do not a good movie make, but the ones here are of such quality that they go a long way. That the staging, execution, and photography are exquisite goes without saying. Just as importantly, the filmmakers know the importance of building up to the action, without completely tipping his hand. By the time the guns come out, the tension will be so thick you can cut it with the proverbial knife, but you'll still be caught off guard by the suddenness and sheer ferocity of the gunplay.

The staging of the chase sequences is also worth noting. Two of the biggest mistakes writers and directors make when doing car chases are to use endless aerial shots, or to go cheap and film the entire scene from a pursuit camera. Frainkenheimer doesn't make those mistakes. Instead he underlines the high speeds and frantic action by using frequent cuts and a variety of camera angles, including head-on, tailing, side, and reaction shots of the drivers.

And forget the old cliché where the good guy never hits anything except fruit carts and stacks of empty boxes. These drivers ram into medians, sideswipe trucks and walls, and plow straight into each other. Glass shatters, hoods buckle, and if a car goes airborne, you can hear the suspension crunching when it touches down. It also helps that Frainkenheimer directed these scenes himself, rather than leaving it to the second unit director, and that he didn't use a single digital effect. Every wreck and explosion actually took place.

I should mention that the acting was excellent as well, especially by De Niro. No-one can remain as nonchalant while firing a rocket launcher from the sunroof of a speeding car, or be ass likeable racking up a body count as De Niro. Jean Reno also shines as the jaded Vincent, and Skarsgard is downright frightening as Gregor.

If you like action, car chases, or gritty crime movies, you will love Ronin. It really is a shame it isn't better known.